Native American Heritage Month: Te Ata, a Celebration of Life and Culture

To help celebrate Native American Heritage Month, each weekly November post will highlight a different cultural activity!

There are many students and teachers who do not know about Native American storyteller Te Ata, whose real name was Mary Thompson Fisher. She was an actress, artist, singer, songwriter, politician, and so much more... Now, her life has been made into a major motion picture! Preview the trailer then get ready for the premier at a movie theater close to you. 

To honor Mary Fisher and the premier of the new movie, Te Ata, here are some activities to learn more about the lady who shared her culture and life with the world:

There is a lot to learn about Mary Fisher! Direct students to multigenre media information by visiting the Oklahoma Historical Society article then read an NPR interview about the making of the movie. The Smithsonian Newsdesk has an overview of the Chickasaw Nation play based on Te Ata's life. Finally, before seeing the movie, review the cast list and a plot overview of the movie and fill in the handouts above. 

Return weekly throughout the month of November for Native American activities!

Happy Native American Month!
Educator Helper

Happy Halloween Fun

Are ready for Halloween? Get kids up and moving this Halloween with Get Fit Action Stories, especially Frank N. Stein's Haunted House!

Here's this week's Halloween freebie excerpt. Click here to preview more of Frank N. Stein's Haunted House and get more Get Fit Action Stories that combine reading, exercise, and fun:

from Educator Helper

Monsters and More... Just in Time for Halloween Research Skills

What's Halloween without a few Monsters and More...? Being able to connect to prompts and research materials helps students produce better writings. Finding high interest topics can be challenging, but now there's Monsters and More...! 

What kind of high interest writing topics are covered?

Aliens

Bigfoot

Chupacabra

Ghosts

Lochness Monster

Mermaids

Mothman

Vampires

Werewolves

Zombies

Proving whether these topics are fiction or non-fiction is left up to students to research and determine based on facts stated and uncovered. Have students use the PEE method to reinforce using expert testimonies in their essays:

P = point/claim    

Make your point: Alien sightings occur frequently in Texas.

E = Evidence/research     

What's the expert testimony say? Local police departments report more than five sightings per day in Texas (Williams 3).

E = Explanation      

Explain how evidence backs up or supports your claim: Since there are thousands of alien sightings reported each year by the general public in Texas, there is a high probability aliens exist. 

This easy to follow format will ensure students reinforce their claims with text evidence while avoiding dropped quotes. The Monsters and More... handouts may be used as stand alone research based worksheets or as a starting point for more in-depth essays.

Interesting writing topics mask working with difficult research skills so that students learn while having fun! 

Use these Fact or Fiction: Monsters and More... handouts to get started on some Halloween research: 

Happy monster hunting this Halloween!

Setting the Scene for Halloween Writings

What's brewing in your classroom this Halloween? Setting the scene for Halloween will get students in the mood to write! 

Step One: Decorate the room a few days early with Halloween Coloring Sheets:

2. On the big day, turn up the music:  

2. Now, you're ready to set the scene on Halloween, so turn up the scary music:

3. Get started with some journaling using Eerie Writing Prompts:

4. Push back the desks and let the little monsters find a spot on the floor then hand out the below pages to write a Halloween Story with Word Bank and Coloring Images:

Be sure to share your Halloween stories!

Setting the scene is fun and easy, and will easily get students in the mood for some Halloween writing.

Educator Helper

Special Columbus Day Post and Free Board Game

It's an argument that's been going on for centuries--who discovered America? There are many viewpoints on the historical event. A Native American point of view is given in this week's "Notes from the Chief", a newsletter written by Bill John Baker, Chief of the Cherokee Nation:

Take time to discuss and debate true and false historical facts of who discovered America with your students as we celebrate Columbus Day. 

FREE Native American and Columbus Day Activities:

The Effects of Hurricane Harvey on Area Students and FREE Natural Disasters Packets

"My family had thirty minutes to pack up and evacuate...we had to swim out...we got rescued by boat...I evacuated with only the clothes I had on...I have no shoes...my parents and I lost our jobs...now there's mold all in my house...there are eight people living in one motel room...I'm having to take care of my brothers and sisters due to my parents working extra long hours to make ends meet...I'm really, really hungry...my computer and books flooded...we don't have a car...every time it rains, I remember that night and think it's going to flood again...I just keep reliving it...I thought I was going to die..." 

Houses Marked for Safety

These are common tales from our adventure with Hurricane Harvey. Students are stressed and worried. Many students lost everything--belongings, cars, homes, jobs, and sense of safety and security, as well. There is not one student who has not been affected by Hurricane Harvey. 

Fall Semester's Syllabus in Pink Backpack Flooded

Lifetime Worth of Memories on the Curb

When the rain began on Friday, we flooded before voluntary evacuations were issued. Therefore, by the time we received the emergency message, it was too late to leave our area. Roads were already impassible. As buckets of water fell from the sky, we kept saying, "It'll end soon...". We never received a mandatory evacuation notice. We thought we would see some flooding, but 52" in less than ten hours was unfathomable! 

Beating the Heat While Standing in Line for Assistance 

In the past three weeks, I have stood in line with many students and families to receive food, housing, water, and monetary assistance. The question being asked is not "Did your house and cars flood?" but "How bad did your house and cars flood?". While some businesses and homes got only a few inches, others, like mine, received 5 plus feet of water and were completely destroyed. 

It's not a normal semester--students are experiencing unusually high levels of stress due to unusual medical conditions, lack of basic personal items and supplies, and loss of cars, clothes, computers, homes, shoes, etc... So many students lost everything! 

This semester compassion, flexibility, and patience are a must! Some students have no books, no study space, no jobs, and no food or money. But, we survived the flood, and we have each other to lean on and learn from. 

Collected Trash Items from Across Dickinson; Cost of Removal: 11+ million

The one positive aspect of Hurricane Harvey is that it has brought our community and its students together! And, we are on the long road to recovery...

Thanks for your prayers, contributions, and support during Hurricane Harvey and our recovery process!
Beth, Educator Helper


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FREE natural disaster lessons:

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